Invisible Enemies

0:00:00.440 --> 0:00:03.160 Hi, this is Joel and Victoria. Thanks for listening to 0:00:03.200 --> 0:00:06.360 our podcast and thanks for supporting the ministry. If you 0:00:06.440 --> 0:00:09.040 enjoy today's message, why don't you be a blessing and 0:00:09.080 --> 0:00:11.760 share it with a friend. We appreciate you and pray 0:00:11.800 --> 0:00:14.760 for God's very best in your life. Well, God bless you. 0:00:15.120 --> 0:00:17.599 It's great to be with you today, and I hope 0:00:17.640 --> 0:00:19.959 you'll stay connected with us during the week through our 0:00:20.040 --> 0:00:23.920 daily podcast or YouTube channel, social media, and you can 0:00:23.920 --> 0:00:26.319 come visit us in person. We'd love to have you 0:00:26.360 --> 0:00:28.800 be a part of one of our services. But I'd 0:00:28.840 --> 0:00:31.120 like to start with something funny. And I heard about 0:00:31.120 --> 0:00:33.879 this mother and one Sunday morning, she went in her 0:00:34.120 --> 0:00:36.800 son's bedroom said, son, wake up, it's time to go 0:00:36.840 --> 0:00:39.680 to church. Son said, no, Mom, I'm not going to 0:00:39.760 --> 0:00:42.839 church today. She said why not? He said, I'll give 0:00:42.880 --> 0:00:46.080 you two good reasons. Number one, I don't like the people, 0:00:46.560 --> 0:00:49.840 and number two, they don't like me. She said, all right, son, 0:00:49.880 --> 0:00:52.120 I'll give you two better reasons why you should go. 0:00:52.680 --> 0:00:55.880 Number one, you're forty nine years old, and number two, 0:00:56.040 --> 0:01:00.600 you're the pastor. Listen you guys know oh I like 0:01:00.680 --> 0:01:02.600 you and I know you like me. So here we go. 0:01:03.440 --> 0:01:06.280 This is my Bible. I am what it says I am. 0:01:06.720 --> 0:01:08.959 I have what it says I have. I can do 0:01:09.080 --> 0:01:11.600 what it says I can do. Today I will be 0:01:11.640 --> 0:01:15.399 taught the word of God. I boldly confess. My mind 0:01:15.520 --> 0:01:18.760 is alert, my heart is receptive. I will never be 0:01:18.840 --> 0:01:24.000 the same. In Jesus's name, God bless you. I want 0:01:24.000 --> 0:01:28.200 to talk to you today about invisible enemies. We all 0:01:28.280 --> 0:01:31.679 have things come against us. People not treating us right, 0:01:31.800 --> 0:01:35.360 or dealing with an illness or child is causing heartache. 0:01:35.920 --> 0:01:39.840 We look in the world and see wrongs, injustice and evil. 0:01:40.560 --> 0:01:43.600 It's easy to live frustrated and think this person is 0:01:43.640 --> 0:01:46.600 the problem. I got to straighten them out. This group 0:01:46.760 --> 0:01:50.120 is the enemy. They don't believe like me. We end 0:01:50.200 --> 0:01:53.640 up fighting with people thinking they're the problem. But the 0:01:53.720 --> 0:01:58.720 fact is the real enemy is invisible. Paul said in Ephesians, 0:01:59.160 --> 0:02:02.880 our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but with 0:02:03.040 --> 0:02:08.720 spirits without bodies, with the unseen rulers of darkness. Behind 0:02:08.760 --> 0:02:13.600 the trouble, behind the turmoil is forces of darkness influencing 0:02:13.639 --> 0:02:17.080 the person, causing them to do wrong. If you just 0:02:17.160 --> 0:02:21.079 attack the person, the neighbor, the government, the group, you're 0:02:21.120 --> 0:02:24.800 going to be frustrated. You're dealing with the symptoms, but 0:02:24.880 --> 0:02:28.360 the source is where the issue is. You can't fight 0:02:28.440 --> 0:02:33.400 a spiritual battle with physical weapons. Muscles don't matter to 0:02:33.480 --> 0:02:38.480 an invisible enemy. Getting angry revenge, trying to make them 0:02:38.480 --> 0:02:41.280 do right, that's just going to frustrate you. You have 0:02:41.320 --> 0:02:45.200 to fight this battle in the unseen realm. The scripture 0:02:45.240 --> 0:02:49.480 says the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but 0:02:49.720 --> 0:02:54.639 mighty through God. Carnal means physical or natural. Those weapons 0:02:54.760 --> 0:02:58.880 don't affect the unseen. You have to use spiritual weapons. 0:02:59.280 --> 0:03:01.920 You have the power were a prayer. You have the 0:03:02.000 --> 0:03:05.400 name of Jesus, you have the word of God. You 0:03:05.440 --> 0:03:09.799 can speak his promises over your situation. You have authority 0:03:10.080 --> 0:03:14.480 to resist the enemy, not fight him. He's already defeated, 0:03:14.840 --> 0:03:18.200 but you have to remind him of his defeat. And 0:03:18.280 --> 0:03:21.520 instead of constantly arguing with your child and trying to 0:03:21.560 --> 0:03:24.920 make him do right, force him to be disciplined. You 0:03:25.000 --> 0:03:26.920 may have to do some of that. I'm not saying 0:03:26.960 --> 0:03:30.359 don't do the natural, but that alone is not enough. 0:03:31.080 --> 0:03:34.160 Instead of attacking your child, why don't you attack the 0:03:34.320 --> 0:03:38.280 source forces of darkness? You will not have my child 0:03:38.440 --> 0:03:41.400 in the name of Jesus. I command you to take 0:03:41.440 --> 0:03:44.840 your hands off of him. That's doing battle where it matters, 0:03:45.360 --> 0:03:49.560 that's attacking the invisible enemy. You have power over all, 0:03:49.600 --> 0:03:52.240 the powers of darkness, but you have to use the 0:03:52.320 --> 0:03:57.000 right weapons. Sometimes we're attacking the wrong things, attacking people. 0:03:57.520 --> 0:04:02.280 The balls, my neighbor, these trouble makers, their behavior is 0:04:02.320 --> 0:04:07.440 the symptom. There's something behind the scenes influencing them, causing 0:04:07.480 --> 0:04:10.280 them to act out. As long as you're dealing with 0:04:10.320 --> 0:04:13.200 it only in the natural, you're going to be frustrated. 0:04:13.320 --> 0:04:17.279 It's a spiritual battle. Paul said in Ephesians, put on 0:04:17.360 --> 0:04:20.440 the armor of God, so that in the evil day 0:04:20.920 --> 0:04:24.440 you will be able to withstand the attacks of the enemy. 0:04:25.040 --> 0:04:28.640 We're living in an evil day. There are forces trying 0:04:28.680 --> 0:04:32.200 to take your peace, keep you from your dreams, confuse 0:04:32.279 --> 0:04:35.320 your children. It's never been a time where there's so 0:04:35.440 --> 0:04:40.080 much divisiveness and contention, people pushing agendas that are against 0:04:40.160 --> 0:04:43.800 the things of God. The trap of the enemy is 0:04:43.800 --> 0:04:47.480 to get us all fighting each other, parents fighting children, 0:04:47.839 --> 0:04:51.719 this group fighting that group, fighting the coworker, fighting the authorities. 0:04:52.240 --> 0:04:56.640 Don't be fooled by the invisible enemy. What you see 0:04:56.880 --> 0:05:00.000 is simply the fruit of who's working behind the scenes. 0:05:01.040 --> 0:05:03.719 You can deal with the fruit all day long, but 0:05:03.800 --> 0:05:06.360 as long as the root is in place, nothing's going 0:05:06.400 --> 0:05:09.480 to change. Too often we're trying to fix the person, 0:05:09.839 --> 0:05:13.720 straighten them out, defeat their agenda. That's a temporary fix. 0:05:14.200 --> 0:05:17.080 You have to get to the source. The scripture says, 0:05:17.360 --> 0:05:22.679 your spiritual weapons are mighty through God. Something powerful happens 0:05:22.720 --> 0:05:25.880 when you pray, when you call out to God in 0:05:25.960 --> 0:05:30.239 the unseen world, Angels go to work when you declare 0:05:30.240 --> 0:05:34.440 his promises. Forces of darkness are pushed back when you 0:05:34.600 --> 0:05:39.159 speak in the name of Jesus. Demons tremble, chains are broken, 0:05:39.600 --> 0:05:44.120 miracles set into motion. That's fighting where it matters. And 0:05:44.200 --> 0:05:46.080 I know we need to do things in the natural, 0:05:46.080 --> 0:05:49.200 and of course use common sense, but the natural is 0:05:49.240 --> 0:05:53.160 not enough. That's not where the real battle is. The 0:05:53.200 --> 0:05:57.080 scripture talks about how before you were born, God knew 0:05:57.160 --> 0:06:00.120 you and planned out your days. He's given you a 0:06:00.200 --> 0:06:04.440 purpose to fulfill, an assignment to accomplish. But the moment 0:06:04.560 --> 0:06:09.000 you were born, the enemy targeted you. He hassigned forces 0:06:09.000 --> 0:06:12.080 to try to stop your destinies, keep you from stepping 0:06:12.120 --> 0:06:15.040 into your greatness. And I don't say that to make 0:06:15.080 --> 0:06:18.880 you afraid, but to make you aware, because sometimes we 0:06:18.920 --> 0:06:22.440 wonder why these things come against us, Why you feel 0:06:22.480 --> 0:06:26.240 that nagging discouragement, why people are doing you wrong, why 0:06:26.279 --> 0:06:29.920 you can't get a good break. That's the invisible enemy 0:06:30.200 --> 0:06:33.720 trying to limit your life. The good news is he 0:06:33.760 --> 0:06:36.600 wouldn't be targeting you if he didn't know you were 0:06:36.640 --> 0:06:40.119 a threat. He would leave you alone if you weren't 0:06:40.200 --> 0:06:44.360 destined to leave your mark. The reason you have opposition 0:06:44.480 --> 0:06:49.160 and you feel that pressure is because you're carrying something valuable. 0:06:49.800 --> 0:06:52.920 You have such great attentional He knows you will do 0:06:53.040 --> 0:06:56.520 damage to his kingdom, so he'll work over time trying 0:06:56.520 --> 0:07:00.920 to hinder you, use people to get your discourage, circumstances 0:07:00.920 --> 0:07:05.400 that aren't fair. Recognize what's happening. Those aren't battles you 0:07:05.440 --> 0:07:10.040 can fight with natural weapons. That's the unseen enemy. Instead 0:07:10.040 --> 0:07:12.840 of trying to fix it all by ordinary means, how 0:07:12.840 --> 0:07:16.640 about declaring God's favor over your life. How about speaking 0:07:16.760 --> 0:07:20.160 victory over your health, over your family, over your future. 0:07:20.640 --> 0:07:23.560 How about thanking God that he's opening the right doors, 0:07:23.840 --> 0:07:26.960 that he's bringing the right people. How about resisting the 0:07:27.200 --> 0:07:30.360 enemy in the name of Jesus saying you have no 0:07:30.520 --> 0:07:34.600 part in my life. I am God's property. Those are 0:07:34.640 --> 0:07:38.200 the weapons that make a real difference. That's how to 0:07:38.240 --> 0:07:41.880 deal with the root cause. When I was fourteen years old, 0:07:42.120 --> 0:07:45.440 I broke my kneecap running trap. I fell and hit 0:07:45.480 --> 0:07:48.400 a middle drain cover and had to have surgery. And 0:07:48.440 --> 0:07:50.320 my parents were out of the country at the time. 0:07:50.400 --> 0:07:53.680 And when they returned, my father came in and said, Joel, 0:07:54.360 --> 0:07:56.560 Mother and I have been praying for you since the 0:07:56.640 --> 0:08:00.160 time you were conceived. We've always spoken God's promises that 0:08:00.360 --> 0:08:03.280 you'll do great things. God will give you wisdom and 0:08:03.400 --> 0:08:07.520 protect you. But he said, Joel, now you're old enough 0:08:07.560 --> 0:08:11.200 to do it on your own. Our prayers won't be enough. 0:08:11.880 --> 0:08:14.760 You have to stand against the darkness. You have to 0:08:14.800 --> 0:08:17.920 declare God's promises. You have to use the name of 0:08:18.040 --> 0:08:21.960 Jesus to resist the enemy. And from that day I 0:08:22.040 --> 0:08:25.400 started doing it. I say every morning, Father, thank you 0:08:25.680 --> 0:08:29.640 that no weapon formed against me or my family. Whatever prosper, 0:08:30.400 --> 0:08:33.559 devil and demon forces, I command you to get out 0:08:33.559 --> 0:08:37.600 of my path. I cancel every assignment of the enemy 0:08:37.600 --> 0:08:41.880 in the name of Jesus, the authority in the unseen realm, 0:08:42.440 --> 0:08:44.719 doesn't come from how good of a person you are, 0:08:45.320 --> 0:08:48.520 what family you come from, how much education, how popular. 0:08:49.160 --> 0:08:52.880 The authority comes from the name of Jesus. That's the 0:08:53.040 --> 0:08:56.840 name that causes demons to tremble. That's the name the 0:08:56.920 --> 0:09:00.680 forces of darkness have to obey, the name that took 0:09:00.720 --> 0:09:04.240 the keys of death and hell. Jesus said, I give 0:09:04.280 --> 0:09:07.560 you all power, over all, the power of the enemy. 0:09:08.120 --> 0:09:11.440 That's how you deal with his schemes and strategies. It's 0:09:11.480 --> 0:09:17.960 not necessarily fighting people, circumstances, fighting physical things. It's standing 0:09:18.000 --> 0:09:22.280 against these unseen forces. And yes, it's good to have 0:09:22.400 --> 0:09:25.640 people pray for you and family members that stand in faith, 0:09:26.000 --> 0:09:30.559 parents that declare God's blessing. But nothing is more powerful 0:09:30.800 --> 0:09:33.880 than for you to resist the enemy, for you to 0:09:33.960 --> 0:09:37.400 declare the promises over your life, for you to say 0:09:37.440 --> 0:09:41.360 every morning, I cancel every assignment of the enemy. Today, 0:09:41.760 --> 0:09:45.679 I serve you. Notice I am God's property. You have 0:09:45.760 --> 0:09:49.480 authority as a believer, but it doesn't do you any 0:09:49.520 --> 0:09:53.200 good if you're not using it. And sometimes we're using 0:09:53.240 --> 0:09:56.720 our strength, our energy to fight people and they're doing 0:09:56.760 --> 0:10:00.440 me wrong. They're going against what I believe. They're disc honest. 0:10:01.000 --> 0:10:04.880 The truth is they're being influenced by forces of darkness. 0:10:05.440 --> 0:10:09.200 The real problem is the invisible enemy, the source that's 0:10:09.240 --> 0:10:12.240 causing them to be that way. If you just fight 0:10:12.320 --> 0:10:15.880 with people, you're going to be frustrated. There was a 0:10:15.920 --> 0:10:20.080 bullfighter in the ring with this huge bull and thousands 0:10:20.120 --> 0:10:22.760 of people in the stands, and every time that bull 0:10:22.760 --> 0:10:25.720 would come charging, he would put out his red cape 0:10:25.720 --> 0:10:28.920 to distract him. The bull would duck his head and 0:10:29.200 --> 0:10:32.120 attack the cape, hit it with so much force and 0:10:32.400 --> 0:10:35.520 throw his horns into it. While he was focused on 0:10:35.559 --> 0:10:38.960 the red cap, the bullfighter would stick a sword into him. 0:10:39.600 --> 0:10:42.320 This half in time and time again. The bull got 0:10:42.440 --> 0:10:46.520 angrier and angrier. He was fighting with all of his might. 0:10:46.880 --> 0:10:50.760 The problem was he was attacking the wrong source. He 0:10:50.880 --> 0:10:54.360 thought the cape was the enemy. He didn't realize the 0:10:54.360 --> 0:10:57.880 man behind that cap was the real enemy here. This 0:10:57.960 --> 0:11:01.400 bull weighed thousands of pounds, had all this incredible power 0:11:01.480 --> 0:11:04.079 and force the man less than two hundred pounds. It 0:11:04.240 --> 0:11:07.200 was no match. There was a man in the stands 0:11:07.559 --> 0:11:10.240 watching the bullfight for the first time. He said to 0:11:10.320 --> 0:11:14.120 his friend, if that bull ever finds out who's really 0:11:14.160 --> 0:11:16.439 sticking him, that man is going to be in a 0:11:16.480 --> 0:11:22.880 whole lot of trouble. Sometimes, like the bull, we're getting stuck, aggravated, annoyed. 0:11:23.120 --> 0:11:26.800 We think it's the Cape, the person, the boss. This 0:11:26.880 --> 0:11:30.200 sickness I'm dealing with. This group is so evil we 0:11:30.240 --> 0:11:34.080 don't realize they're not the source. There's an invisible enemy 0:11:34.400 --> 0:11:42.120 that's controlling the Cape, causing the conflict, division, stirring up prejudice, jealousy, confusion. 0:11:42.600 --> 0:11:45.560 Don't be deceived by the Cape. We have to get 0:11:45.640 --> 0:11:49.120 to the source. The enemy is the root, cause he's 0:11:49.200 --> 0:11:52.880 the one pulling the cape. Instead of going after people, 0:11:53.080 --> 0:11:56.240 you need to go after him. You can't defeat him 0:11:56.240 --> 0:12:01.520 with carnal weapons, getting angry, offended, trying to pay people back. 0:12:01.960 --> 0:12:05.600 The weapons of our warfare are not physical, but they 0:12:05.600 --> 0:12:09.240 are mighty through God. When you pray in the name 0:12:09.280 --> 0:12:13.840 of Jesus, things in the unseen realm shift. You don't 0:12:13.880 --> 0:12:16.720 have to ask the enemy to leave. You don't say 0:12:16.800 --> 0:12:20.520 please go, no, you command him to leave. Jesus said, 0:12:20.640 --> 0:12:24.839 get behind me, Satan. You have authority over all those 0:12:24.920 --> 0:12:28.439 forces that are trying to hinder your life. You need 0:12:28.480 --> 0:12:32.280 to tell them on a regular basis to get behind you. 0:12:32.280 --> 0:12:35.040 You have no right in my life. Take your hands 0:12:35.040 --> 0:12:38.280 off my children. Take your hands off my finances, take 0:12:38.320 --> 0:12:41.600 your hands off my future. I belong to the most time. 0:12:42.800 --> 0:12:45.920 The scripture says, when you resist him, he will flee. 0:12:46.679 --> 0:12:49.679 He doesn't have a choice. He can't stay when you 0:12:49.800 --> 0:12:54.600 use your God given authority Luke, Chapter thirteen. Jesus was 0:12:54.600 --> 0:12:57.520 teaching in the synagogue and he noticed a lady that 0:12:57.679 --> 0:13:01.040 was all bent over and not able to stay. She'd 0:13:01.040 --> 0:13:04.480 been this way for eighteen years. The scripture says she 0:13:04.600 --> 0:13:10.000 had a spirit of infirmity, was a physical ailment caused 0:13:10.000 --> 0:13:13.760 by a spiritual issue. Jesus didn't pray for her, he 0:13:13.800 --> 0:13:17.160 didn't anoint her with oil. He simply spoke to the spirit. 0:13:17.679 --> 0:13:21.680 He said, woman, you are loosed from your infirmity. Immediately 0:13:21.720 --> 0:13:25.880 she could stand up perfectly normal. I wonder today if 0:13:25.920 --> 0:13:28.400 some of the illnesses we deal with are not a 0:13:28.480 --> 0:13:32.360 spirit of infirmity. We know all sickness is from the enemy. 0:13:32.480 --> 0:13:35.920 Some are natural, but others, like this woman, it's a 0:13:35.960 --> 0:13:39.760 spirit of infirmity. You have to be loosed from that spirit. 0:13:40.280 --> 0:13:42.920 You need to tell the enemy, take your hands off 0:13:42.960 --> 0:13:46.600 of my health. You cannot keep me bound. My body 0:13:46.720 --> 0:13:51.040 is a temple of Almighty God. Break that spirit of diabetes, 0:13:51.480 --> 0:13:55.079 spirit of heart trouble, spirit of depression. You can treat 0:13:55.080 --> 0:13:57.520 the physical, and of course that's good, but if you'll 0:13:57.559 --> 0:14:01.440 get to the root cause, that invisible enemy, that spirit 0:14:01.520 --> 0:14:05.000 of infirmity, then you can be really free. We can 0:14:05.040 --> 0:14:08.480 see how these spirits of infirmities get passed from generation 0:14:08.640 --> 0:14:12.800 to generation. And I know it can be genetics and DNA, 0:14:13.480 --> 0:14:16.920 but I've read studies where attitudes can be passed down 0:14:17.440 --> 0:14:22.520 thinking patterns now just physical, but emotional and behavior. That's 0:14:22.560 --> 0:14:26.440 a spirit. You need to take authority over every negative 0:14:26.560 --> 0:14:31.080 spirit in your family line, over every spirit of infirmity, 0:14:31.240 --> 0:14:36.760 spirit of poverty, spirit of divorce, spirit of jealousy, anger, addiction. 0:14:37.720 --> 0:14:40.760 Don't go through life just treating the symptom, learning to 0:14:40.800 --> 0:14:43.520 live with it. Get to the root, deal with the 0:14:43.640 --> 0:14:48.160 invisible enemy. Those are forces trying to stop your assignment. 0:14:49.120 --> 0:14:53.360 Nothing will change until someone rises up and says, in 0:14:53.440 --> 0:14:56.960 the name of Jesus, we are loose from this infirmity. 0:14:57.400 --> 0:15:01.480 I take authority over these forces of I commend you 0:15:01.560 --> 0:15:05.720 to God. The power comes from the name of Jesus. 0:15:06.280 --> 0:15:09.080 They're not afraid of my name. They're not afraid of 0:15:09.160 --> 0:15:14.360 pastor Pope, doctor, influencer, that's all good. But the name 0:15:14.400 --> 0:15:17.880 that gets their attention is Jesus. That's the name that 0:15:17.960 --> 0:15:22.880 causes change, to break depression, to leave, brings healing and wholeness. 0:15:23.520 --> 0:15:25.760 You may have struggled for a long time in an 0:15:25.800 --> 0:15:30.520 area like this woman, with depression or sickness, addiction, or 0:15:30.840 --> 0:15:33.720 maybe not being able to get ahead. You take one 0:15:33.760 --> 0:15:37.840 step forward and two steps backwards. That's not just bad luck. 0:15:37.960 --> 0:15:41.840 That's a spirit of lack, a spirit of mediocrity. How 0:15:41.840 --> 0:15:46.160 about always fighting in your family, can't get along, strife division, 0:15:46.680 --> 0:15:50.520 that's a spirit of turmoil, a spirit of division. I 0:15:50.600 --> 0:15:54.400 believe today is your breakthrough day. Like Jesus said to 0:15:54.440 --> 0:15:58.120 this woman, I declare you are loose in the name 0:15:58.160 --> 0:16:01.920 of Jesus. This is a day of freedom in the 0:16:02.000 --> 0:16:05.960 unseen round. Right now, chains are breaking, forces of darkness 0:16:05.960 --> 0:16:10.720 are leaving. The enemy is retreating. When we resist, he 0:16:10.720 --> 0:16:13.640 doesn't have any options. He has to flee. Now have 0:16:13.720 --> 0:16:16.680 a new mindset. Not I'm going to be free, but 0:16:16.800 --> 0:16:19.880 I am free. Not I hope to get well, Joe, No, 0:16:20.000 --> 0:16:23.440 I am well. Well. I wish my family could get along. 0:16:23.720 --> 0:16:27.080 Now we walk in peace, in unity. There is joy 0:16:27.120 --> 0:16:30.000 and laughter in my house, the house of the Righteous 0:16:31.200 --> 0:16:34.280 Tewod King. Chapter six. The King of Rium was at 0:16:34.320 --> 0:16:36.920 war with Israel, and every time he came up with 0:16:36.960 --> 0:16:40.080 a new battle plan, God would tell the prophet Elisha. 0:16:40.640 --> 0:16:43.920 He would tell the Israeli commanders they always stayed one 0:16:43.960 --> 0:16:47.120 step ahead of the enemy. When the king found out, 0:16:47.120 --> 0:16:51.080 he was furious. He sent a whole army to capture Elisha, 0:16:51.560 --> 0:16:55.200 thousands of soldiers. They snuck up at night and surrounded 0:16:55.240 --> 0:16:58.480 Elisha's house, and the next morning, when his assistant went 0:16:58.520 --> 0:17:02.520 out and saw the soul Jersey ready to attack, he 0:17:02.600 --> 0:17:06.760 was terrified. He ran back in, Elisha, wake up. We're doomed. 0:17:07.080 --> 0:17:09.800 We don't have a chance. We're surrounded by the enemy. 0:17:10.359 --> 0:17:14.399 But Elisha understood this principle that the real battle is 0:17:14.480 --> 0:17:18.480 taking place in the unseen realm. What we can't see. 0:17:18.960 --> 0:17:21.880 He told his assistant. Don't worry. There are more four 0:17:22.040 --> 0:17:26.000 us than there are against us. He was confused, Elisha, 0:17:26.240 --> 0:17:28.080 what do you mean it's just me and you, two 0:17:28.200 --> 0:17:32.080 of us. I saw thousands of them. Elisha simply prayed, 0:17:32.160 --> 0:17:36.080 Lord open his eyes and let him seize. He could 0:17:36.119 --> 0:17:39.680 see fine with his physical eyes. Elisha was talking about 0:17:39.680 --> 0:17:43.119 the unseen realm. He went back out to look again. 0:17:43.520 --> 0:17:46.800 This time he saw hundreds of thousands of the heavenly 0:17:47.000 --> 0:17:51.320 armies and chariots of fire and warring angels all across 0:17:51.359 --> 0:17:55.600 the mountainside. And yes, we have invisible enemies, but we 0:17:55.720 --> 0:18:00.560 also have an invisible army of powerful warriors waiting to 0:18:00.600 --> 0:18:04.120 be dispatched. When you call on the name of our God, 0:18:04.160 --> 0:18:08.520 and when you pray in faith declare his promises, those 0:18:08.640 --> 0:18:12.000 are the weapons that will defeat any force trying to 0:18:12.040 --> 0:18:15.960 stop you. If Elijah would have just relied on the natural, 0:18:16.200 --> 0:18:17.920 come on, we're gonna go out there and somehow try 0:18:18.000 --> 0:18:21.720 to defeat him, push him back out, maneuver overcome, we 0:18:21.720 --> 0:18:25.480 wouldn't be talking about it. You can't fight spiritual battles 0:18:25.560 --> 0:18:30.600 with physical weapons. What you're up against may seem bigger, stronger, 0:18:30.680 --> 0:18:33.520 feels like you're surrounded. No God has you in the 0:18:33.560 --> 0:18:36.400 palm of his hand. He wouldn't have let you get 0:18:36.440 --> 0:18:40.240 in that difficulty if he couldn't bring you out. Now, 0:18:40.240 --> 0:18:44.040 don't use carnal weapons, don't just fight in your own power. 0:18:44.560 --> 0:18:47.639 Use the weapons that are mighty. Through God Father, I 0:18:47.720 --> 0:18:50.960 thank you that every force trying to stop me is broken. 0:18:51.040 --> 0:18:53.560 In the name of Jesus Lord, I think that your 0:18:53.600 --> 0:18:57.000 angels are fighting my battles, making ways where I don't 0:18:57.000 --> 0:19:00.840 see away. That's how you fight, in the invisible, not 0:19:00.960 --> 0:19:05.360 with worry anger paying them back. That's going to frustrate you. 0:19:05.920 --> 0:19:09.280 The real problem is not the person, the illness, the government, 0:19:09.320 --> 0:19:14.000 the troublemaker. It's the unseen enemy. It's that spirit of infirmity. 0:19:14.240 --> 0:19:18.160 It's the forces assigned to hinder you, limit your destiny, 0:19:18.600 --> 0:19:22.320 bring confusion. You need to tell the enemy every day, 0:19:22.640 --> 0:19:25.280 get out of my path, get out of my mind, 0:19:25.400 --> 0:19:27.960 get out of my children, get off of my business. 0:19:28.119 --> 0:19:32.920 I am God's property. He's already defeated, he's already under 0:19:32.960 --> 0:19:36.200 your feet. But you have to remind him of his defeat. 0:19:36.760 --> 0:19:40.160 You have to exercise your authority over him. You can't 0:19:40.200 --> 0:19:43.080 be passive and just accept whatever comes your way. And 0:19:43.200 --> 0:19:45.879 you I got this problem with my child and my 0:19:46.040 --> 0:19:49.159 boss is so unfair and I'm dealing with this anxiety. 0:19:49.720 --> 0:19:54.880 Satan is a bully. Bullies only respond to force. That's 0:19:54.960 --> 0:19:59.080 why Jesus said, get behind me, Satan. He didn't ask him, 0:19:59.560 --> 0:20:02.320 try to vince him, see if he was willing. He 0:20:02.440 --> 0:20:06.480 commended him. My father told about this bully. That was 0:20:06.560 --> 0:20:09.080 in his schools. They were in fourth grade. He lived 0:20:09.119 --> 0:20:13.320 way out in the country, and there's this real big student, strong, 0:20:13.920 --> 0:20:16.800 heavy set and looked like a giant compared to all 0:20:16.840 --> 0:20:19.960 of them, and he was always picking on people, throwing 0:20:20.000 --> 0:20:23.199 his weight around, acting so tough. They were all afraid 0:20:23.200 --> 0:20:25.600 of him and knew not to mess with him. Well, 0:20:25.680 --> 0:20:28.680 this new student moved into class. He was a little 0:20:28.840 --> 0:20:33.440 bitty guy, small wiry, hardly anything to him, but he 0:20:33.520 --> 0:20:37.520 would fight a tiger. He wasn't afraid of anything. One day, 0:20:37.520 --> 0:20:40.119 out on the playground, he saw the bully with a 0:20:40.240 --> 0:20:44.119 pen and a piece of paper writing down names. Intrigued, 0:20:44.200 --> 0:20:46.920 he asked him what he was doing. The bully said, 0:20:47.000 --> 0:20:50.480 I'm making a list of everyone in this class that 0:20:50.600 --> 0:20:53.800 I can whoop. The little boy started thinking about it 0:20:53.920 --> 0:20:56.800 and thinking about it, and the more he thought, the 0:20:56.960 --> 0:21:00.280 more upset he became. He went back over to the 0:21:00.320 --> 0:21:03.800 bully and said, let me see that list. The bully 0:21:03.920 --> 0:21:05.760 was kind of taken aback and handed it to him. 0:21:06.000 --> 0:21:08.720 He went down a name by name and came across 0:21:08.920 --> 0:21:12.080 his name. He was so fired up he got right 0:21:12.240 --> 0:21:15.080 in the bully's face and said, you have my name 0:21:15.200 --> 0:21:18.239 on here, you know you can't whoop me. Why did 0:21:18.280 --> 0:21:21.400 you put me down? The bully said, oh, I'll take 0:21:21.440 --> 0:21:25.480 your name off. You have to stand up to a bully. 0:21:26.240 --> 0:21:31.719 Satan goes about as a roaring line, loud in your thoughts, 0:21:32.600 --> 0:21:36.520 loud through other people, opposition and turmoil, trying to get 0:21:36.560 --> 0:21:40.359 you intimidated angry. Can I tell you he's all bark 0:21:40.520 --> 0:21:43.760 and no bite. He has a loud roar, but no 0:21:43.920 --> 0:21:47.560 teeth like that little boy. You gotta rise up and 0:21:47.680 --> 0:21:51.040 say take me off your list. You have the wrong person. 0:21:51.240 --> 0:21:53.960 I am a child of the Most High. You can't 0:21:54.080 --> 0:21:58.600 defeat me, and you're not gonna deceive me. I know 0:21:58.840 --> 0:22:03.000 you're the source, and I commend you to go recognize 0:22:03.040 --> 0:22:06.800 his schemes and strategies. Don't let a bully that has 0:22:06.920 --> 0:22:11.000 no power over you cause you to live intimidated afraid. 0:22:11.800 --> 0:22:14.960 He may have forces trying to stop you. But greater 0:22:15.280 --> 0:22:17.520 is he that's in you than what's come against you. 0:22:18.920 --> 0:22:20.920 Paul told us to put on the armor of God 0:22:21.080 --> 0:22:23.960 so we can withstand the attacks. In the Evil Dame, 0:22:24.400 --> 0:22:28.080 he talks about the helmet of salvation, breastplate of righteousness, 0:22:28.119 --> 0:22:30.280 the belt of truth, the shoes of peace, the sword 0:22:30.320 --> 0:22:33.680 of the spirit. Then he said, above all, take the 0:22:33.800 --> 0:22:37.679 shield of faith so you can quench the fiery darts 0:22:37.760 --> 0:22:42.080 of the enemy. All the armor is incredibly important, but 0:22:42.200 --> 0:22:45.200 he said, make sure you have the shield of faith, 0:22:45.760 --> 0:22:48.480 because you're going to have some fiery darts coming at you. 0:22:49.480 --> 0:22:52.440 Back in those days, they would take arrows, they called 0:22:52.480 --> 0:22:55.359 them darts, and they would put kerosene on the tips 0:22:55.440 --> 0:22:58.840 and light it. When they shot, the arrow, not only 0:22:58.920 --> 0:23:01.560 harmed the person or the property, but it would start 0:23:01.600 --> 0:23:04.960 a fire, do a lot more damage than normal. The 0:23:05.160 --> 0:23:09.080 enemy uses the same strategies today. We all have fiery 0:23:09.240 --> 0:23:12.600 darts being shot at us. When you're making a difference, 0:23:13.240 --> 0:23:16.480 honoring God with your life, people will start talking and 0:23:16.920 --> 0:23:20.399 stirring up trouble. Your child's not treated right at school, 0:23:20.920 --> 0:23:24.720 come down with an illness, you lost the contract. Because 0:23:24.800 --> 0:23:27.800 we see only in the physical, we're not always aware 0:23:28.200 --> 0:23:31.760 someone is shooting fiery darts at us. There's a source 0:23:31.880 --> 0:23:35.119 to this trouble that's not visible. It's an unseen enemy 0:23:35.359 --> 0:23:39.200 trying to light fires. Get us upset and fighting. This 0:23:39.400 --> 0:23:44.040 coworker attacking this group living with a spirit of infirmity. 0:23:45.080 --> 0:23:48.119 We can't stop the fiery darts from coming. But we 0:23:48.280 --> 0:23:52.120 do have a solution, the shield of faith. Father, thank 0:23:52.240 --> 0:23:55.560 you that by your stripes I am healed that this 0:23:55.720 --> 0:23:58.879 sickness cannot stay in our family, for we are loose 0:23:59.000 --> 0:24:02.480 from this infirmity. Lord, thank you that what's meant for harm, 0:24:02.840 --> 0:24:05.760 you're turning to my advantage. I'm gonna stay in peace. 0:24:05.840 --> 0:24:08.440 I'm gonna be still and know that you are God. 0:24:09.080 --> 0:24:12.640 Faith is a shield, trusting that God is in control, 0:24:13.080 --> 0:24:17.159 declaring his promises. That's going to block the fiery darts, 0:24:17.720 --> 0:24:21.720 thwart the plans of the enemy. Should upset you, pull 0:24:21.800 --> 0:24:25.399 your family apart, get you frustrated, but you know the 0:24:25.600 --> 0:24:29.000 enemy's schemes. You got your shield up. You're not fighting 0:24:29.080 --> 0:24:31.920 with people. You're dealing with the source of the problem. 0:24:32.560 --> 0:24:35.640 That's how you stand strong in the evil day. That's 0:24:35.680 --> 0:24:38.159 how you're not moved by the trouble. You're using your 0:24:38.240 --> 0:24:42.119 spiritual weapons that are mighty through God. This is so 0:24:42.320 --> 0:24:45.159 important because we're in a time where it's easy to 0:24:45.320 --> 0:24:49.840 start attacking people. The enemy is doing everything to bring divisiveness. 0:24:50.280 --> 0:24:54.440 He knows when there's unity, there's a blessing. But people 0:24:54.560 --> 0:24:58.040 are not the real problem. It's the invisible enemy that's 0:24:58.119 --> 0:25:02.080 influencing them. Think about Judas. He was one of the disciples. 0:25:02.680 --> 0:25:06.119 Jesus chose him to be among the twelve. He had 0:25:06.119 --> 0:25:10.040 good qualities, he was strong, smart, a leader. How could 0:25:10.040 --> 0:25:13.320 he betray Jesus? How could he get so off course 0:25:13.680 --> 0:25:17.360 and do something so wrong? Luke twenty two says, Satan 0:25:17.960 --> 0:25:23.000 entered into Judas. Wasn't that Judas was this evil, terrible person? 0:25:23.600 --> 0:25:27.280 The enemy came and deceived him. There are people in 0:25:27.440 --> 0:25:29.960 all of our lives that have opened the door to 0:25:30.080 --> 0:25:34.080 the enemy. They believed his lies and given him access, 0:25:34.160 --> 0:25:37.679 and we see them as off and evil and messed up. 0:25:38.320 --> 0:25:41.440 How can they believe that. Yes, we need to stand 0:25:41.480 --> 0:25:44.720 for truth, stand for righteousness, but we also need to 0:25:44.840 --> 0:25:49.040 stand against forces of darkness that have blinded their minds. 0:25:49.560 --> 0:25:54.399 It's the enemy, controlling, manipulating, deceiving. But you and I, 0:25:54.760 --> 0:25:59.160 as believers, have authority in the name of Jesus. Let's 0:25:59.280 --> 0:26:04.040 not fight attacking people. Let's attack the enemy. Let's command 0:26:04.240 --> 0:26:07.600 forces of darkness to go. Let's use that shield of 0:26:07.680 --> 0:26:11.520 faith to stop the fiery darts. Remember the reason you're 0:26:11.560 --> 0:26:14.640 being attacked is because you carry the purpose of God. 0:26:15.280 --> 0:26:17.920 You have his hand of favor and blessing on your life. 0:26:18.720 --> 0:26:21.560 The enemy doesn't like us hearing this. He loved for 0:26:21.680 --> 0:26:24.800 us to waste time fighting one another, living angry. But 0:26:24.920 --> 0:26:28.159 we're aware of his schemes. We know what our weapons are, 0:26:28.280 --> 0:26:31.000 the power of prayer, the word of God, the name 0:26:31.080 --> 0:26:34.920 of Jesus. Now rise up and take your authority as 0:26:34.960 --> 0:26:39.040 a believer. If you'll do this, I believe, declare. Every 0:26:39.160 --> 0:26:42.080 force trying to stop you is being broken right now 0:26:42.240 --> 0:26:46.359 in the name of Jesus. Breakthroughs are coming, freedom is coming, 0:26:46.480 --> 0:26:51.359 healing the fullness of your destiny in Jesus's name, And 0:26:51.480 --> 0:26:55.680 if you receive it, can you say amen? I'd like 0:26:55.760 --> 0:26:58.440 to give you an opportunity to make Jesus the lord 0:26:58.480 --> 0:27:01.440 of your life. Would you pray with me? Just say, 0:27:01.520 --> 0:27:06.120 Lord Jesus, I'll repent of my sins. Come into my heart. 0:27:06.920 --> 0:27:10.080 I make you my Lord and savior. If you've prayed 0:27:10.080 --> 0:27:12.800 that simple prayer, we believe you got born again, and 0:27:13.160 --> 0:27:15.359 we'd love to send you some free information on your 0:27:15.520 --> 0:27:17.680 new walk with the Lord. You can text the number 0:27:17.760 --> 0:27:20.520 on the screen or go to the website. But I 0:27:20.600 --> 0:27:23.560 hope you'll get into a good Bible based church and 0:27:23.720 --> 0:27:25.320 keep God first place. 0:27:26.520 --> 0:27:29.639 Fear can be a powerful force, and we'll try to 0:27:29.720 --> 0:27:34.480 make you feel alone, stuck without hope. But fear doesn't 0:27:34.560 --> 0:27:37.560 have to get the final say there is a way out. 0:27:38.400 --> 0:27:41.359 Fear is a powerful force, but so is faith. What 0:27:41.520 --> 0:27:44.720 we focus on shapes our reality. In my new book, 0:27:45.000 --> 0:27:47.920 No More Fear You Have the Mind of Christ, I'll 0:27:47.960 --> 0:27:50.720 show you how to silence fear and live boldly in 0:27:50.880 --> 0:27:54.640 faith and confidence. Just like David said, though I walk 0:27:54.720 --> 0:27:57.919 through the valley, I will not fear, You too can 0:27:58.000 --> 0:28:02.000 walk through life's challenges without being paralyzed by fear. I 0:28:02.119 --> 0:28:05.080 can't promise you you'll never feel fear, but I can 0:28:05.240 --> 0:28:07.680 teach you how to rise above it. By dwelling on 0:28:07.800 --> 0:28:11.600 what God says. Learning to replace the anxious thoughts with 0:28:11.840 --> 0:28:15.040 faith filled ones, you can live from a place of peace, 0:28:15.480 --> 0:28:16.640 power and purpose. 0:28:17.480 --> 0:28:19.880 As our way of saying thank you for your gift 0:28:19.960 --> 0:28:22.480 of any amount this month, we would like to send 0:28:22.520 --> 0:28:25.800 you a copy of Joel's book, No More Fear You 0:28:26.119 --> 0:28:29.680 Have the Mind of Christ. The Bible proclaims the Lord 0:28:29.840 --> 0:28:33.200 is my Light and my salvation. Whom shall I fear? 0:28:33.760 --> 0:28:37.280 This powerful and practical book will help you silenced out, 0:28:37.680 --> 0:28:42.800 overcome anxiety, and step boldly into God's overcoming power when 0:28:42.880 --> 0:28:46.920 fear whispers you can't. This devotional will stir your faith 0:28:47.040 --> 0:28:50.960 to declare God will. Each page reminds you that you 0:28:51.160 --> 0:28:54.760 weren't created to live in fear or despair. You were 0:28:54.840 --> 0:28:59.160 created to live with passion, purpose, and confidence in God's 0:28:59.240 --> 0:29:02.840 plans for you life. Let God's word equip you to 0:29:03.040 --> 0:29:05.760 rise above fear and walk in victory. 0:29:07.000 --> 0:29:10.400 Fear doesn't have the final say God does. Be bold, 0:29:10.560 --> 0:29:13.200 be strong, and step up to who He made you 0:29:13.320 --> 0:29:15.720 to be. Be torn. I want you to know we're 0:29:15.800 --> 0:29:19.440 praying for you and your family, believing for God's very best. 0:29:19.960 --> 0:29:22.800 Thank you so much for your prayer and support. Your 0:29:22.880 --> 0:29:26.800 generosity is helping people around the world. As we finish 0:29:26.920 --> 0:29:29.840 this year, I hope you'll consider making a special year 0:29:30.000 --> 0:29:33.640 in gift helps to keep the ministry strong. I always 0:29:33.720 --> 0:29:36.120 want to thank our Champion of Hope partners for your 0:29:36.240 --> 0:29:39.040 monthly gifts. If you're not a partner, I hope you'll 0:29:39.040 --> 0:29:41.960 consider becoming one now. Until we see you next time, 0:29:42.240 --> 0:29:44.160 May the Lord bless you and keep you. 0:29:45.240 --> 0:29:48.080 Be sure to request your copy of Joel's new book, 0:29:48.440 --> 0:29:51.760 No More Fear You Have the Mind of Christ. Visit 0:29:51.840 --> 0:29:55.440 joelostein dot com or call eight eight eight five six 0:29:55.560 --> 0:29:59.360 seven Joel and for an additional gift. This month, we're 0:29:59.400 --> 0:30:03.959 also of the God's Word Work Study collection. This empowering 0:30:04.040 --> 0:30:08.120 set includes the NIV, the Message Parallel Bible, Joel's No 0:30:08.280 --> 0:30:11.640 More Fear Devotional, the classic How to Read Your Bible 0:30:11.760 --> 0:30:15.760 and Enjoy It, plus a beautifully crafted leather bookmark with pen. 0:30:16.320 --> 0:30:20.320 You can request these inspiring scripture discovery resources by calling 0:30:20.600 --> 0:30:23.840 eight eight eight five six seven Joel or logging on 0:30:24.040 --> 0:30:28.080 to Joelostein dot com today. Call or click any time 0:30:28.400 --> 0:30:32.600 twenty four hours a day. Silence fear, strengthen your spirit. 0:30:33.040 --> 0:30:36.200 Let God's Word equip you to rise above fear and 0:30:36.440 --> 0:30:40.040 walk in victory. Request these resources today